Mumbai: The city crime branch has arrested a key suspected member of a notorious gang from Tihar jail in connection with the abduction of a Mumbai-based copper trader in 2015 under the guise of a business deal in Mathura, UP, and extorting Rs 20 lakh from him and his family.
The accused, Saddam Kamal Khan alias Saddiq alias Siddhi, is the 10th person to be caught in the case.Saddam had been absconding for years, but the anti-extortion cell recently learnt that he had been arrested in a similar case and lodged in Tihar jail.
In 2015, the gang, led by Saqib Jumma Khan, allegedly lured the trader with the promise of a tender for 30-40 tonnes of copper at a throwaway price of Rs 350 per kg. Ansar Khan alias Ansi, posing as one Rahul Jain, convinced the victim by sending pictures of the copper waste, prompting him to visit Mathura to inspect the goods. On Nov 24, 2015, the victim landed at the Delhi airport, where he was approached by a gang member and taken to Mathura in a white jeep. Upon arrival, the gang tied him up at gunpoint, stole his mobile phone, a gold chain, a high-end watch, a ring and Rs 22,000 in cash, all collectively valued at Rs 10 lakh. It also forced him to reveal his debit card PIN, using which the abductors withdrew more funds.
The gang then called the victim's wife and demanded a ransom of Rs 30 lakh. The victim's brother later sent Rs 10 lakh through hawala to Saqib. When the abductors realised that the family could not provide more money, they released the victim near the Delhi airport, giving him Rs 10,000 to return home.
After reaching Mumbai, the victim lodged a police complaint. Over the course of the investigation, nine gang members, including Saqib and Ansar, were arrested. The gang is known to operate across Delhi, Gurgaon, Agra, Jaipur and Jaisalmer, following a similar pattern of luring victims with fake business deals, kidnapping them and extorting money from their families.
"Saddam, along with Saqib, opened a fictitious bank account to siphon off the ransom amount," said a police officer. Police said a chargesheet has been filed in the case, and the trial has also begun.
Sources said as per the investigation, police in Mathura and Jaipur had provided little assistance during the initial pursuit of the accused, and in one instance, a crowd had obstructed the police team, forcing it to return without making any arrest.